Bedstead-fastening



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DEVOLT STOTLEMEYER, OF HANCOCK, MARYLAND.

BEDSTEAD-FASTENING.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,483, dated May 29, 1849.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DEvoLT STOTLEMEYER, of Hancock, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Metallic Fastening for Securing the Rails and Posts of Bedsteads to Each Other and for Analogous Purposes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

Figure l, is a perspective view of the rear side, and Fig. 2, a plan of the face of the portion of the fastening, which is inserted into and secured to a post.

In the flat plate, A, there is an opening B, of a similar shape to an ordinary key hole; the upper portion of which forms about three fourths of a circle, and the slit descending from its open lower side, has vertical parallel sides.

A flange C, is cast on the rear side of the plate A, surrounding the opening in the same, and of the form represented in Fig. 1, to Wit: the projection of the flange from the plate, gradually increases from the top to the bottom of the opening (B,) which it surrounds,-forming inclined planes on each side of the opening. The post portion of the fastening, above described, is let into a cavity formed in the side of a post, of suflicient depth to bring the face of the plate A, flush with the face of the post; and is secured therein by screws having their heads countersunk into the face of the plate. The form of the rail portion of the fastening, is represented in perspective in Fig. 3; its shank D, is let into a hole, in the center of the end of a rail, to such a depth as to bring theouter sides of the ears E, E, flush with the end of the rail. I generally confine the shank of the fastening, within the end of a rail, by placing segments of wood on its sides between the ears E, E, and immersing the same in glue previous to driving the shank int-o the hole made for its reception. The head H, of the fastening, is of a circular form, and of such a size, that it will freely pass into the upper or circular ortion of the opening B, in the plate A; (of the post portion of the fastening:) bet-Ween the head H, and the ears E, E, there is formed the neck G, having straight parallel sides and curved edges,-corresponding with the periphery of the head H. When the head H, and the neck G, of the rail portion of the fastening, are inserted into the opening B, of the post portion of the fastening, the neck (G) will fall into the lower portion of the opening (B) and will prevent the rail from turning; and the lateral projections at the sides of the head H, will bear against the inclined faces of the flange C, and as the rail is forced down, will draw its end firmly against the side of the post.

IVhen it is necessary to separate the rails from the posts, and from the ropes or sacking which may be connected to them, it can be almost instantaneously accomplished by knocking up the ends of the rails so as to bring the fastenings at their ends into the enlarged circular portions of the openings in the post plates; (A;) for the reason that as soon as the neck G, is elevated into the circular portion of the opening in the plate A, it can revolve freely therein, and becomes detached from its hold upon t-he same; consequently as soon as the rails are elevated a sufiicient height, they revolve on their axes, and cause the sacking or ropes to drop from their retaining pins on the rails, leaving the posts and rails unconfined, and ready to fall apart.

This arrangement of the fastenings, to allow of the speedy detachment of the rails and posts from each other, and from the ropes or sacking connected to the rails, is of great importance in case of fire, and at all times produces a saving o-f labor. In all other bedstead fastenings, the rails cannot be turned to detach the cords or sacking from them, without withdrawing the portion of the fastenings on the ends of the rails entirely from the portion of the faste-nf ings attached to the posts; and this cannot be done without the previous loosening of the cords, or the fastenings of the sacking, thereby consuming time and labor.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The construction of metallic fastenings for confining the rails and posts of bedsteads to each other, of such forms that when the portions of the fastenings secured in the ends of the rails are inserted into the portions of the fastenings attached to the posts, a blow or downward pressure upon the rails, will cause the ends of the rails to be closely drawn against and secured to the posts; when this is combined with the arrangement by which the elevation of the rails for a. short dist-ance Will permit them to in the Ina-nner and for the purpose here-in revolve and detach themselves from the set forth. 10 cords or sucking that may be connected to 'The above specification signed and Wit-- them, and also disconnect the portions of the nessed this 3rd day of Feb. 1849.

5 fastenings projecting from the extremities DEVOLT STOTLEMEYER.

of the mils from their hold upon the fasten- Witnesses: ings, made fast to the posts-Without With- Z. C. RoBBINs,' drawing one from the other-substantially L. WILLIAMS. 

